Memory cards are known in the art and contain intelligence in the form of a memory circuit or other electronic program. Some form of card reader reads the information or memory stored on the card. Such cards are used in many applications in today's electronic society, including video cameras, digital still cameras, smartphones, PDA's, music players, ATMs, cable television decoders, toys, games, PC adapters, multi-media cards and other electronic applications. Typically, a memory card includes a contact or terminal array for connection through a card connector to a card reader system and then to external equipment. The connector readily accommodates insertion and removal of the card to provide quick access to the information and program on the card. The card connector includes terminals for yieldingly engaging the contact array of the memory card.
The memory card connector often is mounted on a printed circuit board. The memory card, itself, writes or reads via the connector and can transmit between electrical appliances, such as a word processor, personal computer, personal data assistant or the like.
Some memory card connectors are provided with a write-protection function by means of a pair of elastic conductive terminals forming a controlling switch. The two switch terminals are mounted at a side of the connector and have respective elastic arms arranged in close proximity to each other and may be moved into mutual engagement by the memory card to close the controlling switch. Some memory card connectors are provided with a card detector function by means of a pair of elastic conductive terminals forming a detector switch. The detector switch typically is at a rear of the connector and is actuated by a leading edge of a memory card to “detect” that the card has been fully inserted into the connector. Some memory card connectors have both a write-protection function and a card detector function, with a common or “third” conductive terminal forming one of the switch terminals of both switches.
For instance, FIG. 1 shows a common or “third” terminal, generally designated 10, according to the prior art. The terminal has a main body, generally designated 12, including an elongated base 14 extending between a pair of upstanding arms 16 and 18. A pair of contact spring arms 18 and 20 extend in opposite directions from opposite sides of upstanding arm 16. A fixing tail 22 is spaced outwardly from upstanding arm 19 by means of a connecting arm 24, defining a mounting gap 26. Fixing tail 22 and mounting gap 26 may be provided for mounting terminal 10 on a connector housing.
In operation, contact spring arm 20 may comprise one of the switch contacts of a write-protection switch of the memory card connector, and contact spring arm 18 may comprise one of the switch contacts of a card detector switch of the connector. Both contact spring arms 18 and 20 flex or pivot about a single or common fulcrum provided by upstanding arm 16. This creates problems because the entire left-hand end of the terminal (as viewed in FIG. 1) deflects, twists and may deform because of the stress concentrations created by the single fulcrum 16 for both contact spring arms 18 and 20 operatively associated with both the write-protection switch and the card detector switch of the connector. In addition, the entire terminal is fixed at one far end thereof (the right-hand end as viewed in FIG. 1), and the terminal has a tendency to loosen and cause changes in position of the contact spring arms.
The present invention is directed to providing a new and improved switch terminal of the character described which solves the problems of the prior art including the problems outlined above.